Forever Changed
by dancerwind16
Summary: When Hermione was dying, he was there to save her... Now, she owns him and must work to repay him. Will Draco eventually realize that somethings can really change? Or will he remain the same cruel, heartless person he always was and has been? R&R!
1. Dreams of Death

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the Harry Potter characters! J.K. Rowling owns ALL!

Chapter One: Dreams of Death

_He was leaning down to her… closer and closer… She could feel his breath on her neck, growing warmer and warmer. His nose was now touching hers; their lips were an inch apart…now a centimeter away… He leaned closer. Please hurry, she thought. Closing her bright amber eyes, she leaned forward, savoring every magical moment. "I love you," he whispered. There was nobody in the world as beautiful as she…her smooth, vivid hair bounced around her, illuminating her beautiful face. He bended forward and kissed her. She kissed back, but as soon as his lips touched hers, he seemed to fade into the black misty night. She tried to touch his cheek, but she felt nothing. "No!" she cried. Her eyelids flew open, searching desperately for him…Cold mist swirled around in loops, gradually fading from view. She hugged her robes closer in hope to shield against the dark winds. There was nothing. "No!" she cried once more. Her ragged breath increased as she stumbled about. The winds were closing up on her…she choked on the cruel, frozen air. "I can't live without you," she murmured softly. The cold was sinking into her skin… she was going to die! "Don't leave me..." Those three immortal words reverberated around her mind, driving her nearly insane. She shivered and squeezed her feeble robes around her for support. Tears sprouted in her eyes. "Just… please don't leave me…"she said. Darkness filled her mind as she hit the ground. The last thing she saw was the diamond ring that rested on her finger. _

Hermione's chocolate eyes fluttered open in surprise. Where was she? Her familiar room slowly unfolded before her eyes- the same matching maple bed and side tables sitting peacefully while her wand lay a few inches across from her. Her heart pounded furiously. _It was only a dream…_ Cold relief sank in, mixed with the feeling of dread. _This wasn't the first dream, though…_

Hermione sat up instantly and turned on the lamp that sat on her bedside table. A warm light filled the room. She scrambled out of bed and pulled on her robes. It was no use sleeping now that she was wide awake. The cold though… it was just _so real_. Her purple robes clung tightly to her skin as she stepped outside her apartment, welcoming the cool breezes that danced lightly around her. She shivered. It wasn't a cold night, but a clear one with several shining stars. The trees were merely shadows against the darkness, and the street ahead was an eerie silver that glowed brightly in the moonlight. The whole world was sound asleep, and it was her, and only her. _Just like my dream…_she thought.

Hermione walked precariously among the streets, silently thinking. Why, though, was she constantly having these dreams? They haunted her thoughts and caused her to lose her confidence in even the most normal situations. It was like some sort of spirit took shelter in her mind, feeding on all her happy memories and making sure to leave only the horrible ones…like a dementor, almost. And why is it, exactly, that nobody seemed to really care? _Nobody truly understands how I feel…_

Tears sprung to her eyes. Hermione silently shook them away. It just wasn't fair! Why was she alone in this world? Why did nobody understand her? _They've always said that it was normal...that I would get over it soon enough…that it was a part of life. _But it just wasn't normal! If it was, she would have gotten over his death by now. Her grief was just much too much to bear… _I just wish that it was all over, now._ Her heart ached once more. "I wish that I was dead," she whispered into the breeze. But, secretly she didn't.

She impatiently wiped her eyes and kept on walking. A small lake laid nearby, it's silvery waters curled up in gentle waves and ripples that seemed to beckon her forwards. Hermione glanced down at it. In the reflection, a witch stared back at her with dim brown eyes and untamed bushy hair. Her eyes were filled with pain and hurt. Hermione looked away. She couldn't bear it. Was this really her? _It couldn't be me…_ She dabbed away at her tears again. Where did the ambitious and witty Hermione Granger go! It was as if her real self was simply thrown away forever- the only remains was an empty shell with no dreams, no future. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. _What happened to me! _her brain seemed to scream.

A bitter wind surrounded her. _Something isn't right…_Hermione's eyes snapped open and watched in amazement as a silent figure formed in front of her. That was him! She leaped forward, hoping with all her heart to land in his strong hands. She grasped his cloak and looked up into his face, completely covered by a hood. She struggled to remove it, but he did it first. Happiness soon turned to horror as his once handsome face slowly formed into a grotesque, deformed one. His fingers melted into spiders in her very hands. His beautiful green eyes faded into cruel darkness as he stared at her. He smiled, revealing ugly yellow rotton teeth. She screamed. His spider hands were now digging around her neck, digging deeper and deeper. _It was so cold…just so cold…_Hermione searched frantically for her wand. It wasn't there. Her head screamed in pain. She fell back and hit the stiff concrete, fighting with all her might. _Make it stop! _Her mind reeled, and she felt all the air being sucked out of her. The creature squeezed her neck harder. She felt her lungs burst inside of her. She was dying…she was going to be with him again!

"Acidio!" a man's voice called. He had a deep, rich voice. The creature howled, and Hermione felt its fingers drift away. Cold air filled her lungs as she gasped and sputtered for breath. A man's figure loomed up in front of her. _I'm going to die…_Hermione fought hard to see, but her vision was fading fast. The man's body blurred and soon disappeared. Everything disappeared. She fought to stay alive, but darkness soon entered her mind and soothed her. _Just like my dream…_she whispered. _Just like it._

A/N: I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that it's such a short chapter! I promise that all the future chapters are going to be longer. Please review! Was it good? Bad? Completely horrible? Tell me the truth! winks Should I continue? REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Thanks a bunch! No flames please.


	2. Meeting HIM Again

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the second chapter; I'm sorry it took so long!

Chapter 2- Chained

_A mysterious figure stood in the distance, hidden among the silver mist that lurked slyly on the forest ground. Hermione's eyes widened as she tried anxiously to make out his identity. It was a man…her saver from the previous night. She shuddered nervously as she remembered the cold… and the darkness that had enclosed her, nearly sealing her fate forever…_

"No!" Hermione cried as her eyes snapped open. Her body was covered completely in cold sweat. She'd never felt so weak- it was as if a hundred ton truck ran over her, leaving her completely vulnerable to even the simplest spell.

Her head suddenly throbbed. A throbbing headache. It was the worst kind of headache you could get…, not to mention that her chest seemed to burn every time she took a breath. It reminded her horribly of fifth year…with the prophecy, and how Harry saved her. _How he nearly died to save me_…Hermione swept her tears away with the back of her hands. She couldn't cry now; she needed to be strong.

Hermione quickly surveyed the room she was in. However, 'quickly' wasn't exactly the right word. Hermione could scarcely breathe. It was so beautiful! There was really only one word to describe it all- _heaven._ A rich, golden light shone through the windows (heavily draped with curtains that seemed to wink every now and then) and coated the entire room, which was large enough to pass off as a very small English cottage. Meanwhile, she was lying on a four poster bed with elegant curtains made of very expansive gold silk that matched the comforter and pillows. Two end tables with a mahogany finish sat comfortably on the each side of the bed. To finish off the room, an ornate glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, which displayed several angels carrying silver arrows with little heart tips. It was simply stunning…

Hermione's eyes widened at the scene slowly unfolding in front of her. It was all too gorgeous to be real! Forgetting about her misery a few moments ago, Hermione sat up in her bed. Her chest immediately exploded with pain. She quickly lay down again. Dread immediately made its way to her mind. What if she couldn't move at all! There must be a solution…

Hermione reached expectantly for her wand to help ease the pain, but much to her surprise, it was gone. Her body froze as her fingers closed on a note instead. _How strange… _Hermione certainly didn't expect this. She carefully unfolded it, making sure not to smudge the ink. There was an untidy scrawl:

_Granger-_

_This potion is designed to ease your pain- not that I would care or anything. Take it. I will be back shortly, probably around three o' clock._

_-D.M._

A bottle appeared out of thin air, filled with a greenish- brown liquid. Hermione peered at it suspiciously. _D.M._ she thought. _It could only stand for one name…_But why would _Draco Malfoy_, of all people, save _her_? They were arch-enemies…Gryffindor and Slytherin…Pure-blood and muggle born…They were opposites as much as one could get. It didn't make any sense. And yet…there it was, clear as crystal, on the note- the initials D.M. This potion would be a perfect disguise to poison her. Or maybe make her sprout extra heads or something weird like that. But then why would he save her one night only to poison her later?

Puzzled, Hermione tried to remember what she learned about poisons. The potion's color was perfectly right, but it didn't prove much- there were far too many clear poisons…not to mention invisible ones. Her chest gave another stab of pain. Her fingers closed against the cold, hard bottle. She didn't have too much to lose._Well, here goes nothing._ Hermione drank it down in one whole gulp. Drowsiness immediately dominated her mind. The bed was so comforting…Hermione sank in it, savoring its warmth. The empty glass bottle slipped from her fingers and fell on the floor, where it lay in a thousand pieces. The last thing she saw was the same darkness that had once dictated her dreams.

Hermione woke up a few hours later, feeling strangely ready and refreshed. Everything was pitch black. _But how can it be?_ She didn't sleep very long…

There was a snicker.

Hermione instantly whipped around, instinctively fumbling for her wand. _Oh yeah…_it was gone. And why was it that she couldn't see anything, but her eyes were wide open? It was still day… Hermione could still feel the warm sun rays on her hand. The potion must have done something to her vision… She cursed. It must have made her blind somehow! And if she only had her wand…

Hermione dropped down on her knees, trying to feel for her wand. _It must be somewhere…_

"Looking for this?" A cold voice interrupted her search. She felt someone tap something on her shoulder. Her wand! Hermione immediately reached back, only to grab her shirt. Malfoy had it! To think of all the dangerous stuff he could do…

"MALFOY!" she screeched. She had to get that wand! Turning to where the voice is, she waved her arms frantically. "GIVE ME MY WAND, MALFOY!"

Draco watched, amused, at Granger's panicky arm dance. She wasn't really blinded- that was merely an illusion. It wouldn't hurt to tease her some more…it was pleasure for his senses.

"Looking for this?" he sneered. He tapped her wand on her head and held it out of her reach. Granger was spinning around in circles, arms above her head. It was hilarious!

"Really, Granger," Draco continued to drawl, "you dance like a pig- did you know that? It really wouldn't hurt to take some dance lessons for a change."

Hermione let out a frustrated growl and immediately lunged toward him. He stepped calmly out of the way. Granger crashed into the bed instead. Ok, that was enough. He waved his wand around, and Hermione's vision immediately got restored.

She glared daggers at him. He smirked back. They both stared at each other, eyes filled with loathing of the past seven years.

Finally growing weary of the penetrating silence, Draco decided to speak first. "So Granger," he said casually, "what were you doing yesterday at three o' clock in the morning?" Not that _he_ cared or anything.

Her brown eyes grew soft for a moment before hardening on him. "Why would _you _care?" she snarled. "Anyway, that's none of your business."

They were both silent for a few minutes until Draco suddenly remembered what he came up here to do.

"Granger," he said, breaking the eerie silence between them. "You'll work for me now to repay me for saving you." Draco spat out those two last words as if they were poisonous toads. "So, here's a list of things you'll have to do and a number of house rules you'll have to follow"- at this, he handed her a long- _very _long- list –"And the only floo network you could use to get out is my fireplace, so – he smirked- don't count on it."

Hermione looked back, stunned. "Why would I have to repay you?" she asked. "Harry saved plenty of people! And they never did have to repay him!"

"BECAUSE," Draco accented, "Potter is NOBLE and a GRYFFINDOR. Slytherins DON'T do GOOD deeds, and I DID, so you'll have to pay, SOMEHOW."

Hermione glanced down on the list. It was just household chores. "Can't house elves just take care of this stuff? I mean, it's just chores."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "No. I like to see you WORK." He sneered. He loved seeing Granger suffer.

Hermione glared at him. Well, he _did _save her was one thing. But these chores? She scoffed, waving the list around. "This is a waste of time, Malfoy. You don't need me to do this, and-"

"And, I'll see you at seven," he said in a final sort of way. He got up and left. "Don't be late. And get started on those chores."

Hermione frowned and looked at the list he had handed her. She finally saw what he was talking about.

_Rule #3: Dinnner starts promptly at 7 o' clock. If you are late, you will not eat for that night plus the following morning. Do not wander around the kitchen, or I'll skin you alive. _

Hermione smiled, a new idea forming in her head. She was going to pay the kitchen a visit, for a change.

The kitchen was like an exact copy of the Hogwarts one; there were fewer house elves, however, as Malfoy doesn't require as many. They bustled up and down the long isles, making sure there was enough firewood for the fireplaces, cleaning the floors, and cooked the food. She almost felt sorry for them; S.P.E.W. didn't exactly work out the way she planned.

A house elf hurried toward her. It had wide brown eyes the size of tennis balls, and it was wearing a tea sack as usual. It stared wide-eye at her for a moment before asking her what she needed.

"Is there anything Twinky can get for Ms. Granger?" it squeaked, still staring at her. Hermione reckoned it was a girl, judging on its high pitched voice. Malfoy must have told the house elves about her.

"No, thank you," she replied, smiling gently at the elf. "Oh, actually, where's Mr. Malfoy's plate?" she asked.

Twinky gazed at her before leading her to the plates. "Here you go, miss. I is hoping you will enjoy the dinner, miss." She bowed and hurried back to cleaning the fireplaces.

Hermione smiled and pulled out a clump of green, twisted plants from her robes and added to Malfoy's plate. Bogweed- it made a person's face turn different colors that would last for a few days- a harmless joke, but still fun to try it. After all, she had nothing else to do. And she could use a laugh once in a while. She sprinkled the rest on Malfoy's plate and waited patiently for dinner to come.

It came shortly- it turned out Malfoy was the one who was late. Hermione finished her food fast and left, not wanting to draw any suspicion to herself about the whole bogweed thing. She would see it tomorrow- she was sure of that. Anyway, she was getting sleepy. After changing into her pajamas, she curled back into her bed. Sleep claimed her in an instant. However, it didn't last long that night.

A/N: I want to wish a big THANK YOU to all my reviewers so far:

Adriane1: Thanks a bunch for reviewing! I'm soooooooooo glad that you think the plot is interesting so far. :) I'm sorry Chapter One was so short; it was more of a prologue. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chimerablue5: Thank you for your WONDERFULsuggestion; I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!

Hikari Skysong: Again, I'm glad you like the story! More to come!

FaeRie Fire: Draco/ Hermione pairings are the BEST! I'm SOO happy you find this story good. :) I wrote several others, but I didn't have the heart to post it online, since it was horrible. THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEW:) :D

Mercedies: Glad you find it good:)

Again, thank YOU!


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